Digital firms to be 'incubated' at new Boho building in Middlesbrough

Boho Five set to further grow its reputation of Middlesbrough's Boho Zone with the new £4m building

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Artist's impression of the state-of-the-art Boho Five business unit at Middlehaven

Work has begun on the next phase of Middlesbrough’s DigitalCityBusiness (DCB) development, one of the North East’s largest regeneration schemes.

The £4m Boho Five building is designed to accommodate a wide range of start-ups as well as established businesses within the digital and creative sectors.

The development is being jointly funded by the European Regional Development Fund Competitive Programme and the Homes and Communities Agency.

Delivered by Middlesbrough Council, a range of partners are also involved, with Parsons Brinckerhoff in a project management role and xsite architecture undertaking a feasibility study and construction design management.

xsite has been involved with the Boho Zone area from its inception in 2005, and believes the latest stage of development will build on its reputation for innovation and quality.

Partner Tim Bailey said: “We are very pleased to be continuing our relationship with the Boho Zone with this latest building.

“It will be a high quality, innovative building, reflecting the aspirations of the digital sector and designed in a way to foster increased interaction and collaboration between its occupiers.

“Specifically, the building is to provide small, flexible ‘incubation’ space for start up businesses which will then grow and expand to occupy space in other publicly or privately owned buildings within the area, continuing with the positive redevelopment in this area.”

Esh Build, part of Esh Group, has been appointed to carry out the £3.2m construction of the six-storey building, which is being built from steel and concrete, and has been designed to minimise carbon footprint.

The company’s construction director Paul Redman said: “Boho Five is another important building in this exciting and visionary regeneration scheme for Middlehaven in Middlesbrough’s centre.

“Esh Build has been involved in constructing a number of other buildings and spaces as part of the plan and we’re delighted we have been appointed to build Boho Five.”

Middlesbrough’s deputy mayor, Cllr Dave Budd, added: “We are very pleased to see work starting on this next phase of the Boho Zone which forms a key strand of our regeneration strategy.

“Boho Five will be fully integrated with the management arrangements for Boho One, to provide a seamless offer to cluster companies and potential entrepreneurs, supported directly by DCB. This is a thriving sector and we are confident of Boho Five’s ability to further transform Middlesbrough’s digital economy.”